It is known to use a lighting unit in the mirror body or in the mirror base as a turn signal repeater lamp or as a perimeter light. The lighting unit takes up space in the mirror body that might be required for other components, such as a positioning drive for the mirror glass, a pivot drive for the mirror body, and the like. Moreover, installation of the lighting unit within the exterior rearview mirror is costly. If it is necessary to replace the lighting unit, the corresponding connector contacts have to be disconnected and reconnected, which is awkward and difficult inside the exterior rearview mirror.
An object of the present invention is to design an exterior rearview mirror of the generic type such that the lighting unit can be installed in a simple manner while taking little installation space.